


And they were (college) roommates

by clumsyghost



Category: Night at the Museum (Movies)
Genre: College Roommate AU, Human AU, It's another AU I am sorry, M/M, jedtaviusweek2k19
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-19
Updated: 2019-06-19
Packaged: 2020-05-15 00:00:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19283899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clumsyghost/pseuds/clumsyghost
Summary: A school year in the life of Jed and Oct.





	And they were (college) roommates

_August_

“Octavius,” called out the tall, pale Junior that was the seventh floor Resident Assistant, or RA as he had introduced himself as. “Your roommate is here.”

“Thank you… Larry,” Octavius barely managed to recall the man’s name before he had disappeared. The hustle and bustle of all the freshman university students moving into their dorm rooms was beginning to die down. Octavius’ parents had been gone for hours. He had taken advantage of his roommate's absence, temporarily using up all the space as he organized his belongings into what he claimed was his half of the room. That task completed, he made up his bed, then sat down on top of it, booting up his laptop and speculating idly on the person he was to spend the next nine months living alongside.

“Boy howdy,” a heavily accented Western drawl proceeded Octavius’ first glimpse of his roommate. “Ain’t this the tiniest room you’ve ever seen?”

Octavius stood. Leaning against the doorframe was one shaggy-haired blond boy with the prettiest eyes Octavius had ever seen. The deep blue color wasn’t even what caught his attention, but the sparkle within, promising equal opportunities of warmth and mischievousness. He was aware of the stranger’s own gaze upon himself, openly curious.

“Looks like they turned a one-person room into a two-person.” He continued inside, dropping a backpack onto his unmade bed. A suitcase remained abandoned in the hallway. “C’mon, put your hand against the wall. Yeah, go on. Let’s see how wide this place is.” 

A mixture of amused and bewildered, Octavius did as he was told. His roommate did the same against the wall opposite, sticking out his right arm. Octavius stuck out his left arm; they overlapped. A whistle escaped the blond.

“Alright, well. We can deal with this, no problem. Oh, I’m Jedediah, by the way. Call me Jed, though.”

“Nice to meet you. My name is Octavius.”

“Are you a foreign exchange student?” Jedediah plopped down on his bed and began to pull things out of his backpack.

“No. I have lived here since I was five years old. Is that… all you brought with you?” Octavius ventured. He wanted to ask why his family wasn’t helping him move in, but thought better of it. 

“Yup! Well, I had a suitcase…” Jed jumped up and went to rescue his luggage from the hallway. “I pack light. Less hassle, ya know?”

First impressions? Scatter-brained. Friendly, but perhaps not as serious about his college education as Octavius would have hoped for.

_September_

Jedediah was an early riser. Octavius should not have been surprised; ‘farm boy’ practically oozed out of Jed. Still, the first time he heard his roommate moving around at 5:30 a.m., Octavius groaned and rolled over to face the wall. In his defense, Jed attempted to be quiet, but he was like a bull in a china shop. Octavius gave up on sleeping after the third straight ‘dagnabbit’.

“Will you please be quiet!” Octavius hissed as he rolled back over. Jed froze, staring at the Italian boy for a moment before a huge grin broke out.

“Oh, good. You’re awake.”

“Not intentionally!”

“C’mon, you got an eight-o-clock class today,” Jedediah nodded towards the whiteboard calendar on Octavius’ wall. The Italian's class schedule was carefully recorded in precise handwriting along with all his assignment deadlines. Jedediah’s wall was covered in flyers from campus, advertisements for concerts and open gym activities.

“Let’s go get some flapjacks!”

“What’s flapjacks?” Octavius replied, rubbing his eyes. “Oh. Pancakes?”

“Yeah! C’mon, Tavi!” When his pleading only elicited a groan from his roommate, Jed crossed the whole of two steps to the other boy’s bed. Ignoring Octavius’ protest, he bouncily knelt on the bed, reaching over the prone form to snatch the marker from its holder. He scribbled something on the whiteboard. “There! It’s on your calendar, so you hafta follow through now, don’t ya?”

Octavius sat up and scooted out from under Jed the most he could. He watched as the blond scribbled something else in another day, then another. “What are you doing?” He peered closer, reading the first addition: _Breakfast w/ Jed._ His eye traveled, easily catching Jed’s handwriting. _Thursday- Jerk off @ 3:25._

“You idiot!!” Octavius shoved Jed off his bed, annoyance growing as Jed simply laughed.

His roommate was without a doubt the rudest person he’d ever met.

_October_

“What are you studying, anyway?” Jedediah squinted and turned his head to the side to read the spines of Octavius’ textbooks. They were thick tomes, with dry-sounded titles like Diplomacy and Global Security, Comparative Politics, and Challenges in American Foreign Policy. 

“Political Science with an emphasis on International relations,” Octavius replied evenly.

“Nice major; did ya mom pick it out for ya?” Jed snorted.

“And yours?” The comment hit a little too close to home. More like his father and his uncle… Octavius struggled to keep his expression neutral, only raising an eyebrow as Jed shrugged.

“I’m thinkin’ something in Environmental Sustainability maybe. Or creative writing. Or music. I’ll figure it out.” Jed’s answered nonchalantly.

“I’m sure you will,” Octavius snorted. In about five years...

“What?” Jed’s gaze narrowed at his roommate’s tone.

“Nothing. Only that you don’t sound very decisive.”

“We’re only eighteen, Tavi. Not all of us have our entire lives planned out already,” Jed huffed. “Don’t ya want to do something that you’re excited about? Not my fault I have a lot of interests. You sounded so bored when ya told me your major just now.”

“Not true.” Octavius frowned over the top of his laptop. “Just because I’m calm doesn’t mean I’m not passionate about the subject.”

“Oh, please! You can be a total drama queen!” Jed snickered. He tossed a small rubber ball he’d won at some event towards the Italian. Octavius caught the ball deftly and returned it with more force than necessary. Every once in a while, they’d toss the ball back and forth, talking about anything that came to mind. Normally their conversations were something Octavius enjoyed, but at the moment he didn’t appreciate Jed’s comment.

“I mean, you gave that crazy pep-talk last week when we were competing against the eighth floor,” Jed continued before Octavius could reply. “It was dramatic as all get-out. You’d think we were preparing for war.” Each dormitory held an annual series of relay races, pitting each floor against each other in the spirit of team-building.

“We won, didn’t we?” Octavius smiled smugly.

“Uh-huh. But see? You’re a good leader; ya motivated the tar outta everyone.” Jed tossed the ball in the air a few times before throwing it back to Octavius.

“Perhaps I can utilize those same leadership skills to influence foreign policy to keep citizens safe,” Octavius replied gently. He watched a thoughtful expression cross Jed’s face.

“Maybe. Still seems a shame, though, for you not to do something you really love.”

“It’s touching how much you’re concerned about my happiness.” A half-jest.

“I know what it’s like not to have much support,” Jed answered slowly. “But to sacrifice your own interests for the greater good or… to please your parents an’ their expectations… seems equally sucky.”

Octavius blinked. He hadn’t brought up his family’s expectations at all, but somehow Jed had divined the truth. Or partial truth, Octavius told himself. He wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps. Still, something inside him wondered at this Texan farm boy, whom he had known all of eleven weeks, and his ability to see right through him. Would he ever be able to understand Jedediah that way? And why, oh why, did he secretly hope so?

_November_

“Tavi? What are you doing here?” Jedediah wore a confused look on his face as he walked into their room. Assuming his roommate was out, he had accidentally locked the door instead of unlocking it. Even through his fumbling to get the door open, his roommate hadn’t called out or opened the door for him. “I thought you had a date tonight.”

“So did I,” came the short reply.

Jed sighed. Octavius was sitting on his bed, phone in hand, blatantly avoiding eye contact. The hurt in just those few words made his heart ache.

“Did something come up or…?” Jed went for the least troubling circumstance. His question was met with silence. The Texan made his way to his own bed, sitting down on the edge. “Hey. I’m sorry they stood ya up.”

The past few weeks, Octavius had been happier than Jed had ever seen him. Of course, he had teased him about each and every date, but the Italian hadn’t diveluged any information on the mystery person. Jed had noticed Octavius’ carefulness when referring to pronouns, yet he hadn’t had the heart (or courage, to be honest) to push the subject.

“I didn’t even get a reason why,” Octavius spoke up suddenly. He placed his phone face down against the sheets. “Just… a text that said, ‘I don’t want to go out with you anymore’.” He heard Jed intake a sharp breath.

“Wow. That’s just real rude, Octy. No… um, decent person, would break up with their partner like that. I’m sorry you’re hurting right now, though,” Jed mumbled. Anger was welling up inside him, fury towards this person who had dared to disappoint his roommate.

“S’ok. I should not have pursued the relationship in the first place…” The dark head bowed in defeat.

“Why not?” Jedediah spoke loudly, demanding a reaction from the Italian. “Oh, c’mon! You like the fellas, don’t ya? All good, you’re just as God made ya. Ain’t nothin’ wrong with love, Tavi, but there is something wrong with treatin’ someone like yourself the way they did. Let’s go!”

“Go...where…?” Octavius’ thoughts spun wildly, trying to process everything Jed had spoken so quickly the moment before. His heart beat a little faster at the gleam in Jed’s eyes.

“Anywhere. There’s bound to be a party somewhere. We’ll find something to do. Can’t let ya go to waste, what with ya all dressed up.”

And that’s how Octavius found himself traipsing across campus at ten at night. Jedediah was hell-bent on his mission, and they eventually gained entrance into one ear-busting party. The drinks flowed freely, though, and Octavius partook more than his usual share. He wandered the rooms, drink in hand, observing the party-goers laughing their way through beer games. He hadn't been separated from his roommate too long before Jed found him, tipsily dragging him back to the living room.

“Dance with me!” Jed yelled through the music. Octavius laughed, shaking his head even as he set his cup down.

“Sorry, I don’t square dance.”

“‘S’not the only kind of dancing I do, hoss.” Jed waved his roommate closer, but Octavius wouldn’t budge. A brunette girl with pink streaks in her hair and a piercing in her belly button sidled up to Jed, and he turned towards her, accepting the stranger for the dance. Octavius experienced a pang of chagrin. Jed’s smile never faltered. Even the blasting music didn’t keep the Texan from attempting to chat to his dancing partner, though from the way she was moving her body, she was interested in more than just talk.

The song changed; Octavius cut in, face flushing as Jed chuckled at his maneuver. It was far too easy to lose himself into the music, allowing the alcohol and Jedediah’s grin to work their wonders on his defenses. In the early hours of the morning, Jed welcomed his roommate’s steadying hands as they staggered back to the dorm.

“See? Ya don’t need a date to have fun,” Jed slurred.

“No,” Octavius responded fondly. “I have my hands full enough with you.”

_December_

“Are you looking forward to going home for winter break?” Octavius watched Jed stretch. The Texan had been hunched over his laptop nearly all day, working on one last big assignment.

“I’ll be happy when this paper is finished,” he groaned.

After nearly a semester, Octavius was used to these non-answers. For someone going into diplomacy, he was ashamed at how long it took him to notice this habit. Jedediah’s friendliness, warm and genuine, was also a way of keeping everyone at bay. Octavius had never met anyone so extroverted, who talked so much without revealing anything of themselves. There was rarely a topic that Jed didn’t discuss with Octavius, yet he guarded his personal preferences tightly. Octavius could easily recall all the specifics he had learned so far: Jed’s favorite ice cream flavor was strawberry, he despised lead pencils, he rooted for the Dallas Cowboys, and he rarely spoke of his home life. All Octavius knew was that he had grown up on a ranch. Oh, and Jed positively adored cats, a trait they both shared. Which reminded him…

“I have you something. A Christmas present,” Octavius announced. He reached under his bed to pull out a small package which was promptly tossed at Jed. The blond took in the festive wrapping paper with an astonished look on his face.

“Oh! I got ya something, too!” Jedediah rose and rummaged through his wardrobe. He presented his findings to Octavius proudly. The Italian accepted the bag with its obese depiction of Santa Claus with a smile.

“Thank you.” Octavius held his unopened present in his lap, watching his roommate tear through the paper and into the box. Jed began to laugh as he pulled out a pair of fuzzy socks decorated with kittens. There was another gift too, a sticker with a cat bearing a cowboy hat that Octavius couldn’t pass up.

“Meowdy,” Jed read the sticker’s text out loud with an exerragrated drawl. He laughed again and promptly plastered the cowboy cat onto his phone case. “Thanks, Tavi! Open yours, what’re ya waitin’ for?”

Octavius, much to Jed’s frustration, took his sweet time. “Not my fault you shoved shoved half a pack of tissue paper into this bag,” he smirked. He finally reached his gift, fingertips grazing soft fabric. A hat, in eye-catching scarlet, absolutely perfect. Octavius couldn’t keep the smile off his face, carefully placing his present on his head. Jed snapped a picture with his phone.

Later, as Jed reluctantly packed his suitcase, Octavius caught him placing his Christmas socks into his wardrobe. The Texan appeared embarrassed as he noticed Octavius watching him.

“I’ll be sure to wear them when I get back,” Jed spoke up. Then, as if he was worried about the Italian’s feelings, “I really do like them, Tavi.”

“I know you do,” Octavius replied softly. He felt sad for Jed. What kind of home was Jed returning to if he didn’t feel comfortable wearing funky socks? His own father, strict disciplinarian as he was, drew a line between his private and work life. Octavius never thought twice about what he wore around the house.

“Text me anytime you want, okay?” Octavius saw that familiar smile tug at Jed’s lips, the corners of his eyes crinkling.

“You might regret sayin’ that,” Jed replied. He winked even as his roommate’s expression remained serious. “Alright, alright, will do. Thank ya much…”

_January_

“You can’t have pets in the dorm,” Larry stated firmly.

“‘S’not pets,” Jedediah insisted. “There ain’t anything in there yet!”

“No living creature other than people, Smith. Now get rid of that thing.” That thing was a ten gallon fish tank that Jed had somehow lugged into the dormitory one Saturday when no one was looking.

“I’m trying to brighten people’s lives, Larry. That’s why it’s here, in the common area,” Jed argued. “Would you like me to tell you the benefits of having an aquarium?”

Larry did not. Larry wasn’t being paid enough to be the RA of the seventh floor. He longed for a quiet floor, like Ahkmenrah’s. Oh well. At least it wasn’t the fourth floor; Teddy had his hands full there. Larry had a sinking feeling this aquarium incident would end up being a tale to tell at future RA lunches.

“It’s a hazard.”

“You’re a hazard,” Jed muttered. He fidgeted, staring at the empty aquarium. “So your entire objection is the fish?”

“And the water,” Larry pointed out quickly. “All it takes is one clumsy person breaking the glass and we’ll be slipping.”

“What about a lizard?”

“No. Animals.”

“So, what’re we supposed to do? Put paper fish in it or something?”

Paper fish it was. At the next floor meeting, Jed passed out sheets of plain paper and instructed everyone to draw a fish. All the freshman took to the idea cheerfully, mostly to spite their RA who stood by, shaking his head at their antics. Colored pencils, scissors, and too much tape later, the seventh floor aquarium held a special place of honor, decorated entirely of thirty-six paper fish of varying skill. It became a joke amongst the residents, with the fish magically moving places overnight so the aquarium never looked quite the same way twice. All went well for about a week.

“Someone stole our fish,” Jed bellowed. “They stole our dadgum paper fish!”

“Probably those bastards on the eighth floor,” Octavius replied without looking up from his textbook, not at all emotionally invested. Jedediah whirled around.

“You’re right! Revenge for losing the races.”

“That was in September, Jed. That’s some pretty slow revenge.”

“C’mon! We’re going to go get our fish back.” Jed yanked Octavius to his feet.

“H-hey, wait. You can’t just go up there without a plan.” Octavius couldn’t maintain his serious expression as Jed’s eyes narrowed conspiracingly. “Jed! I was joking. We can make more, why are you getting so hyped up about something so trivial?”

“Because they issued a challenge! An’ I’m bored,” Jed shrugged. “C’mon, you can study later.”

“Giove mi preservi,” Octavius muttered his grandmother’s favorite old saying. “You are such a bad influence.”

“Handsome fellas usually are!”

_February_

Jedediah Smith didn’t get nervous. Sure, he would agonize over difficult assignments. Maybe feel a little uncertain about himself in some situations. But he sure didn’t sweat over just talkin’ to people! This fact didn’t explain why his throat was so dry and his hands so moist as he paced outside the history building. 

‘Where is he?’ Jedediah asked himself for the third time since the clock had chimed noon. ‘Just like him to be chattin’ up the professor or something, the nerd…’

A group of students began to trickle out of the building. Jed easily caught sight of his roommate, his red cap standing out among the other headwear. He waved, smiling at Octavius’ obvious surprise.

“Hi! Were we supposed to have lunch today?" Octavius asked as he approached the Texan.

“Um, well, not really, but I thought it might be nice…” 

“Where would you like to eat, then?” Octavius began to walk towards the cafeteria, but was quickly stopped by Jed’s hand on his elbow.

“Actually, let’s… go over here,” Jed smiled reflexively at the confusion in his roommate's warm chocolate eyes. Thankfully, Octavius followed him without protest. The two made their way to the group of picnic tables on the far side of the quad. One of the tables sported a tablecloth, two takeout containers and a small vase of flowers. Octavius’ bewilderment grew as he spotted their RA keeping guard. With a communicative nod at Jed, Larry rose from the neighboring bench and walked away.

“Ta-da!” Jed spread his hands towards the scene.

“You did all this for me?” Octavius’ gaze rose to study his roommate. “May I ask… why?” His heart was hammering wildly, breath held in anticipation. Could Jedediah possibly like him, or was this simply a gesture of friendship?

“Well, I… that is… you…,” Jed stammered, cheeks heating. “Today is… Valentine’s Day,” he finally managed, which really wasn’t what he meant to say at all. It didn’t matter, though, as Octavius’ expression softened in understanding.

“You constantly surprise me, Jedediah. This is very sweet,” Octavius placed his bookbag on the ground and went to take a seat on the bench. He opened the container in front of him, letting out a soft chuckle of disbelief. Pasta carbonara. His favorite.

“Jed….” he crooned softly, for the Texan had sat down opposite, fiddling with his napkin and averting his gaze. Octavius repeated his name again, reaching out to touch the blond’s arm. Silently, Jed twisted his palm to allow the Italian to grasp his hand.

“Grazie. Thank you. No one has ever done anything so nice for me before. I didn’t take you for a romantic,” he teased, hoping to relieve some of the tension in his roommate’s posture.

“I ain’t,” Jed mumbled. “So don’t get used to this.”

“On the contrary. I would love to get used to this,” Octavius whispered, squeezing their still-joined hands. Jed’s gaze finally rose, cautious hope naked in his face.

_March_

“You told your parents about us?” Jedediah repeated. Octavius would have found his wide-eyed expression comical if not for the sheer amount of awed fear reflected there.

“Yes, well. They thought it was odd I was no longer complaining about my roommate as often, so I admitted that we were dating now.”

“You complained about me? Now how am I supposed to face them!?” Jed threw up his hands. He groaned and flopped backwards on his bed. This was a nightmare. He should have never agreed to go home with Octavius over Spring Break.

“You will face them with your usual charm, I’m sure.” Octavius tossed their ball; Jed made no effort to catch it. “They’re very eager to meet you.”

“Sure they are,” Jed muttered darkly. His roommate sighed.

“This isn’t like you at all, Mr. Optimistic.” Octavius ceased his packing and took a seat carefully next to Jed. He had to lean forward to catch his friend’s expression. Those bright blue eyes were unusually dim, his teeth chewing on his bottom lip. Octavius gave in and laid down beside Jed on his side, propping up on one elbow.

“....Sorry.”

“You have nothing to apologize for,” Octavius replied quietly. He placed a hand on Jed’s chest.

“Have you brought home a guy before?” 

Octavius noted the avoidance of the term ‘boyfriend’. A discussion for another day, but for now… “Yes. Junior and senior year of high school. Jed, please trust me. My family will not think badly of you.”

“Not worried ‘bout me. I just don’t want them to think bad of you ‘cause of me.”

Fingers gently turned Jed’s face. He stared up at those warm chocolate eyes, swallowing at the intensity of emotion shining there. Octavius bent his head, gently pressing his mouth against Jed’s. After they separated for air, he kissed him again. And again, until Jed could concentrate only on Octavius’ soft lips reassuring him.

_April_

The rite of passage was upon them: class registration. Nothing horrified the young university student more than this, the unholiest of days. Three paths lay before them: one - the ideal perfect schedule, two - eight a.m. classes, and three- the dreaded ‘class size full’ roadblock.

Octavius was prepared. He had all his information laid out on paper. Course numbers. No overlapping conflicts. His alternatives had alternatives. All that was left was to input all the data when the system opened.

Five minutes to go… and Jed was thumbing through the paper copy of the course descriptions. Octavius gritted his teeth.

“Make sure you take enough hours,” Octavius couldn’t help speaking up.

“I know.”

“Otherwise you won’t get your financial aid.”

“I **know,** Tavi.”

“If you don’t get into your classes, then good luck. I don’t date college dropouts.”

“You’re such a snob.”

“And you don’t plan ahead very well! Really, Jedediah, you had an entire month to work on this…”

“I plan ahead for things that matter,” Jed replied calmly. “Remember? Which one of us bought condoms last week? And who was in too big of a hurry to get into my pants?”

Octavius rolled his eyes. “Give me one more example and I will leave you alone. Not sex related,” he quickly added as Jed opened his mouth.

“I submitted our names to the dorm lottos. The good ones, McPhee and Custer.” Jed raised his eyebrows, clearly proud of his initiative. 

“What makes you think I want to room with you next year?” Octavius deadpanned. He ducked as the course catalog flew through the air. It hit the wall behind him with a sad thunk. Octavius caught the booklet before it fell between his bed and the wall. “That did not help sway my opinion for the better, Smith.”

“Who else would you room with?” Jed complained. He made a grab for his catalog, but Octavius leapt out of the way.

“Marcus. Tony. Cass,” Octavius rattled off names. He dodged the Texan again, snickering at the frustrated look on Jed’s face. Sadly, with so little space, there were very few areas to maneuver. He inwardly berated himself as Jed cornered him. “I have numerous friends. Any of them would be happy to have me as a roommate.”

Jed growled. He pressed Octavius further against the wall, steadying him as he nearly tripped over a box of cereal.

“Merda. As I would be happy to have them, maybe **they** wouldn’t leave their food lying around to be trampled upon.”

“Tavi…” Jed leaned in, nipping at his roommate’s throat. The playful tension in the Italian’s body melted away as he worried that sensitive spot between shoulder and neck. He held Octavius there for a moment, enjoying the feel of his body flush against his. He straightened, putting his mouth to Octavius’ ear.

“Go register, you absolute nerd.”

_May_

“We won! We won, we won!!” Jed yelled as he slid down the hallway. Octavius glanced up from his seat in the commons area. Several other people stared as Jed appeared, beaming and crowing as he looked around for his friend. Octavius lifted his hand slightly in a wave. He knew he should have went to the library to study…

“We won,” Jed repeated. “The dorm lotto? We got a spot in McPhee’s.”

“Truly?” Octavius began to grin, matching the Texan’s expression. He had been inside that dormitory once, and had been impressed. The rooms there were easily triple the space they had now.

“What floor?” A voice cut through Octavius’ thoughts. Both boys turned to stare at their RA. Larry was looking paler than normal.

“Third floor,” Jed checked his phone. A pained expression crossed Larry’s face. “Why?”

“No reason,” Larry croaked. He returned to his book, leaving Jed and Oct bemused.

“So…. roommates next year?” Jed spoke up with a grin.

“…. Definitely, mio caro.”

**Author's Note:**

> Dedicated to all university freshmen who have been shoved into a dorm room made for one person, with a roommate.


End file.
